An Everlasting Bond
by faramir in ithilien
Summary: *Chapter 9 Up Now!!* Told when Merry and Pippin are young Hobbits. Merry despises his five-year-old cousin, Pippin, but as time passes, their friendship grows stronger. UNFINISHED, but please R&R! Non slashy.
1. A First Meeting

Disclaimer and the Usual Yada-Yada: I don't own Merry, Pip, Frodo, the rest of the hobbits, or any part of the Shire or for that matter, I own nothing in Middle Earth. I mean, I went over to eBay, but no one's selling Merry, Pip, or the Shire, so blah. Oh, I DO however, own Asphodel, Laurel, and Oliden Fauxhall, their family, their clothes, and their Hobbit-hole. You meet the Fauxhalls more in chapters four and five.   


A/N: For the sake of my story, Brandy Hall is like Bag End, home to just one family. I would find it hard to create a conflict and then a resolution between Merry and Pippin with a whole mess of Brandybucks running about. So to keep it simple, Brandy Hall is home to Saradoc and Esmerelda Brandybuck, and their son, Meriadoc. Merry's grandfather, Rorimac, also lives there. Occasionally, family members drop by, since the Brandybucks all live in that area. 

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!!!   
  
  
  
  
  


Meriadoc Brandybuck had never been angrier. He was supposed to be celebrating his entry to the "tween" years, as Hobbits call them, with a grand party. His parents had promised plenty of food and would invite every young Hobbit they could find. Merry could scarcely wait for the day he was to turn thirteen, and have his big party, but his mother had just informed him that it was to be cancelled. A letter had come two weeks before Merry's party from his Uncle Paladin and Aunt Eglantine. They were traveling to someplace (Merry never heard where it was) with their three daughters, Pearl, Pimpernel, and Pervinca. The problem was, however, that their youngest child, five-year-old Peregrin, otherwise known as Pippin, was too small to go. Eglantine had inquired if Saradoc and Esmerelda, Merry's parents, were able to take care of little Pippin for the three weeks they would be gone. Merry had begged and pleaded and argued, but to no avail. The following week, it was settled. Paladin, Eglantine and the three girls would leave on November the twenty-first, and Pippin would stay with his aunt, uncle and cousin until they returned around December 15. And that meant no party for Merry. With little Pippin running around, it just wouldn't be safe. 

Peregrin Took had never been angrier. He hated being left out! His parents and older sisters were going somewhere (Pippin couldn't remember where) and he wasn't going with them! It wasn't the first time his family had left him. Twice before they'd gone, and he'd stayed with his Grandma Took. But this time, his grandmother was rather ill, and she couldn't make it, nor was she remotely well enough to care for an active five-year-old Hobbit boy for three weeks. At first, his parents had thought about just staying home, or else taking Pippin with them, but his stupid sister Pimpernel had suggested Uncle Saradoc and Aunt Esmerelda. His mother sent out the letter, and the week after, Aunt Esmerelda wrote back, saying that she "would be glad to have Pippin over. We haven't seen him since he was a tiny baby, and we're all wanting to see how big he is." And with that, it was settled. Over the next three days, the family packed their things up. Pippin was rather uncooperative, and stormed about the house in a bad mood most of the time. He had never really met his aunt, uncle, and cousin, and inside he was a bit frightened of staying with them. But outside, he pretended that he was just angry. His stubborn behaviour went unnoticed, or rather just ignored. The day they were to leave, Pippin hid, but his father found him almost instantly. Paladin Took picked up his small son and held him close, hoping to comfort him. As their carriage rolled down the bumpy hills toward Brandy Hall, tears streamed down little Pippin's eyes, and he didn't bother to wipe them away. 


	2. Pippin Takes Over

Merry heard the carriage bumping around outside, and the laughter of his three girl cousins. When he heard them knock on the door, Merry just leaned against the doorway that lead into the front room. He wasn't going to let them in. They knocked again. Merry just stood there. Luckily for the knocker, however, Esmerelda heard the noise. She came from Saradoc's study, and hurried past Merry, skirts flying. "Why didn't you open the door, darling?" Esmerelda asked. Merry shrugged, as his mother opened the door. Eglantine stood on the stoop, with Pippin clutching tightly to her left hand, and a large suitcase in her right. She and Esmerelda managed, however, to hug one another, and Esmerelda bended down to kiss Pippin's forehead. Little Pippin trembled and hid behind his mother. Merry rolled his eyes and disappeared to his room. 

"No, darling, this is your Auntie Esmerelda. You're going to stay with her until Mummy comes back." Eglantine said, as she struggled to pry Pippin's hand away from hers. The little one was hanging on for dear life, but his mother managed to release the grip, and replaced her hand with the suitcase. "I'm sorry I have to run off like this, Esme, but we're quite late."   
"It's alright, Elan, we don't mind caring for little Pippin." Esmerelda said with a laugh. "After all, it's the least we could do, after you minded Merry for that week Saradoc and I were gone."   
"Oh, it was nothing. I'm sure our little one won't be any trouble." Eglantine bent down and hugged the small trembling boy tightly, then kissed his forehead. Then, she gave him a little push inside, and hurried out, calling, "Goodbye, Pippy, Mummy loves you!" as she went. Pippin clutched his suitcase tightly, and eyed the Hobbit-lady that was his aunt. She bent down and smiled at him. "My goodness, Pippin, how much you've grown! I'm your Auntie Esme. Goodness, I haven't seen you since you were a baby in your cradle." Pippin did not respond. Esmerelda thought for a moment, and then an idea came to her. "Here, sweetheart, I'll bet you like mushrooms. I've made some for supper, but I suppose we can just have something else." At this, Pippin suddenly warmed up. He loved mushrooms. 

Merry was lying on his bed reading a book, when the delicious smell of cooked mushrooms wafted into his nose. He remembered his mother had promised to make her dearly loved stuffed mushrooms for supper earlier that day, and so he when he caught the aroma, he jumped up and burst into the kitchen. What he saw almost made him keel over. Pippin was sitting at the table. The plate in front of him was empty, save for a single mushroom. Before Merry could say anything, however, Pippin took it into his chubby fingers and popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly, as if savouring every single bite. Merry looked around the kitchen, his eyes falling on the pan that his mother cooked her mushrooms in. Empty. Pippin had eaten every last mushroom. It was too much for an already angry Merry. He promptly flew into a rage.   
"MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUM! You let him eat ALL the mushrooms?!?!? How could YOU? They were for ME!" Merry felt hot tears coming to his eyes, but he squeezed his eyes shut tightly and got them out.   
"Darling, Pippin hadn't eaten at all today. They've been traveling all day, Merry, and Pippin didn't get any of his first six meals. And he would have had to wait for supper. So I thought he'd want some mushrooms. He was very hungry, dear."   
"I don't care! They were MINE, Mum! Now I have to wait for supper! How could you!?" Merry's eyes flashed at Pippin, who was smirking contentedly, and not looking the least bit sorry for what he'd done. He wiped his mouth and climbed down from the table, handing his plate to Esmerelda. "Thank you veby much, Auntie Esme. Where do I sleep?" Pippin's manners so enchanted Esmerelda, that she forgot about Merry's complaints, and took Pippin's hand. "Come, darling, and get your suitcase. You'll be sleeping in Merry's room. We have a cot." The two left the kitchen. Merry, still fuming, stormed after them. "MUM!" he yelled. She didn't answer. She opened the door to Merry's room and showed Pippin the little cot that had been set up. But Pippin frowned at it. He went instead, to sit on Merry's bed. "I likes this better!" He announced, bouncing up and down a little. Esmerelda smiled. "Alright, you take Merry's bed. Merry, you won't mind sleeping on the cot will you?" She didn't wait for Merry's answer. "Good. Pippin, you've got a full tummy, are you going to bed now?"   
"Yes. I'm sleepy." Pippin went through his bag and pulled out his nightgown. "Can you help me, please?" He said sweetly. Esmerelda went over and undressed Pippin, and then put his nightgown on him. She helped him into bed, and tucked him in. She then placed a kiss on his forehead. "Good night, Pippin." She told him. "Nighty." Merry pretended to gag from his place in the doorway. Esmerelda happened to come past him, and smacked him on the arm, not hard, but enough to evoke some discipline. She pulled her son's arm. "Come on, Merry, darling. I'll fix up some tomatoes and sausages for supper." She pulled him into the kitchen and planted him firmly into a chair. 

Merry decided then that he hated his cousin Pippin. 


	3. A Door Left Open

Merry woke up the next morning achy and stiff. He had refused to sleep in the same room with Pippin, and so his mother finally gave up and told him he could sleep on the couch. Merry had only found a single pillow, and two thin blankets to keep him warm. It had been a horrible night, filled with horrible dreams. He awoke cold and sweaty, with the sun streaming in his face. Merry winced. The light hurt his eyes. He opened them and nearly screamed. Pippin was standing beside the couch, watching him.   
"You've missed first AND second breakfast. Your mama says to wake you up. It's time for elevensies." Pippin informed him. Merry sat up, and pushed Pippin out of the way. "Move!" he snapped at the younger Hobbit. Merry quickly got dressed, and stormed out of the room. Pippin hurried after him, eyes wide, but kept inconspicuous with an unreadable look.   
Elevensies was a silent meal that day. Merry and his parents, usually brimming with conversation, were silent. Both Saradoc and Esmerelda kept looking from their son to their nephew. Merry was glaring at Pippin through spoonfuls of porridge. Pippin was staring at Merry, blinking twice at random intervals. This behaviour alarmed Saradoc, who took a stab at conversation.   
"Merry, I forgot to tell you. Frodo and Bilbo are going to drop by this afternoon for tea and dinner." This was, apparently, the correct thing to say.   
"Today? You're sure, Papa?" Merry let out an excited whoop. To Merry, Bilbo was the best Hobbit in the world, and Frodo was the second best. Merry's favourite times were when Bilbo and Frodo came by. Bilbo would tell Merry one of his stories, and after that, Merry and Frodo would spend time with one another, laughing and telling jokes.   
Merry was just dreaming about what he and Frodo could do, when Pippin suddenly spoke.   
"Who's Bilbo and Frodo?" He asked. Merry's dreams were dashed, then. Pippin was going to ruin everything, Merry was absolutely sure of it. Before he could protest, his mother spoke up.   
"They're our cousins, Pippin. Bilbo, he's your father's and my second cousin, and your third and would be Merry's third, too. Frodo would be your second cousin, yes." Esmerelda said. When she drew a breath, Merry started up quickly.   
"Bilbo? You don't know Bilbo? You should know him. Frodo, too. EVERYONE knows Bilbo. He went off on a great adventure once, and everyone says he came back with all sorts of riches, but HE told me that he hasn't any, or not that he's telling about. He's the best Hobbit there is, and he--" Merry stopped. Pippin was watching him intently, transfixed by every word, and Merry didn't want to give Pippin the opportunity to think that he would be around with him and Frodo. He defiantly didn't want Pippin around to mess things up.   
"But anyway, you better not follow us, though, Peregrin. You hafta stay here, at Brandy Hall. Me and Frodo are going to go off and--"   
"Merry!"   
"What, Mum?"   
"Don't you 'What' me, Meriadoc. First off, don't you go feeding him lies about Bilbo's treasure. Bilbo tells us that there isn't any, and no one should bother looking. And second of all, you let Pippin come with you. He's company. And he's never meet Frodo, so you take him with you."   
"Oh, Mum! He's going to ruin something, I know. Let him stay here. He can have Bilbo tell him stories."   
Pippin broke in. "Oh, Auntie Esme, I don't mind staying for stories."   
"Well, darling, since Merry wants to be stubborn about it, you can stay and have stories with Bilbo."   
At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Merry bolted from his chair and opened it, without even bothering to ask who it was. As though he needed to. Bilbo and Frodo stood on the threshhold, and Merry nearly slammed into them with an enormous hug.   
"HI!! Bilbo, Frodo, come in! We're just finished with luncheon, I hope you've had it, though, because we've got to get a good start, Frodo. Bilbo, you could stay for luncheon, we've still got some food left, but, oh! Frodo, come on, we have to go!" Merry said, in one enourmous breath. Frodo clapped him on the shoulder with a laugh, and Merry moved over to let them in. Bilbo went over to the table and greeted Saradoc and Esme. Merry and Frodo followed for the moment. Just then, Bilbo noticed Pippin, turned around in his chair, watching him.   
"Who's this?" Bilbo asked. "Esme, you haven't had another youngling that you've neglected to tell us about! We've only been away for a month!"   
"Oh, my goodness, no! This is my nephew, Peregrin Took, or rather Pippin. He's staying with us for three weeks. His family's up at Michel Delving for something, I can't remember what, but Pippin was too small to go, so we asked if we could keep him with us." She got up and leaned towards Bilbo. "Merry's not too happy about that." At that, Bilbo had a hearty laugh.   
"Well, here's another I can tell my stories to! Let me get some food in me, and then we can be off, eh, Pippin?"   
"Mum! Papa, we're going now!" Merry called as he and Frodo started out for the door.   
"Yes, darling. Be back before dinner!"   
The door slammed so hard, it didn't close. And no one noticed. Except for Pippin. He got up to close it, and then peered outside. He DID want to hear stories, but he admired Merry, even if he didn't show it. And he wanted to know where his cousins were going. So he quietly slipped outside and followed the laughing voices of Merry and Frodo, hiding behind trees if he needed to. This was going to be fun. 


	4. On the Banks of the Baranduin

Disclaimer: I own the recipe for Verlag Swishers! No takey! You're welcome to make 'em yourself, but don't give the idea for your own. Remember, I have the power to sue! Oh, and another ownership right for the Hallfaux clan. I own 'em! 

A/N: In this chapter, you'll meet Laurel, Asphodel, and Oliden(Ah-luh-den) Hallfaux(Hall-fox). The Hallfauxes live on the western shore of the River Brandywine [Baranduin], by the Marish. This chapter contains lots of speaking parts, and not much action. Also, I do not know where Farmer Maggot's field is located, so I have done my best to guess. I'm following the map in my hardback version of the LOTR trilogy, and it makes no mention of the field. So I wouldn't know if it was the Green Hill Country or Woodend, which would be way too far, or if it was near the Old Forest. If anyone could tell me the location of Farmer Maggot's field, I'll give you credit in this chapter when I update it with that information.   
  
  


"…And he's such a little pest! Can you believe it?"   
"Well, Merry. Seems like you've been too hard on Pippin. He's only five, after all. And you're almost thirteen. Oh, I'd forgotten! What about that party?"   
"No party. Mum says that with Pippin about, it's impossible. There would be too many tweenagers around, and Pippin might feel left out or something. A lot of posh if you ask me."   
"Don't say posh, Merry, it's not proper. And besides, you're being unfair. You'd have to understand that--"   
"SH! Did you hear that?"   
"What?"   
"Someone's following us. If that's Pippin, I'll--"   
"Relax, Mer. Pip's at Brandy Hall, Bilbo's telling him a story, remember? Even he couldn't pass that chance up."   
"Right. Look, Frodo! There's the field! Come on!" Merry shot off down the lane, with Frodo following close behind. The two of them entered the large farm field, their first stop, each of them with two sacks in tow. The field had been abandoned some time ago, but vegetables still grew there, as if some silent and invisible magic kept them alive. Quickly, the two hobbit lads collected carrots, lettuce and some mushrooms and filled the sacks up. When the sacks were filled, they hauled them over their shoulders and started down the large hill that overlooked the Baranduin River, otherwise known as the River Brandywine. One of the hobbits who lived along the shore had several dogs, not terribly vicious, for their barks were much worse than their bite. They were loud and bothersome, but practically harmless. They howled mercilessly as Frodo and Merry slid down the hill, so Merry threw a couple of carrots over the fence and the dogs paid no more attention to Merry or Frodo, but instead to the carrots, which they attacked. With a laugh, Merry led the way down the hill and spotted the ferry, bobbing over little waves in the water.   
"Look! C'mon Frodo, let's load the vegetables on, and then we'll be off." Merry said. The two of them hauled the four sacks onto the ferry, and were just about to get the ropes, when a small figure burst into the clearing.   
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIT!!!" It was Pippin.   
"GO HOME!" Merry exclaimed, angry that the smaller Hobbit had followed them. "You're supposed to be at home!"   
"I wanted to see where you were going. And I was going to run back when I heard the dogs. They scared me. And then…then I fell down the hill and got lost. I followed you. Please, Merry!"   
"No," Merry said roughly. "Go back to Brandy Hall. Now. Mum'll be really worried when she finds out you're gone."   
"PLEEEEEEEEEASE?" Pippin said, putting on a puppy-dog look.   
"Oh, be a good cousin, now, Mer." Frodo said. "Let Pippin come with us. Besides, I'd like to get to know him. Come along, Pippin, hop on." Frodo offered Pippin a smile, and to Merry, a shrug. Merry knew better than to go against Frodo, so he unanchored the ferry, grabbed the oar and began to paddle.   
"You can come alone, but don't you dare touch our vegetables."   
"Merry!" Frodo exclaimed, surprised at his cousin's rudeness.   
"It's ok, I've got my own." Pippin said, bringing out several carrots and a whole head of lettuce that he'd hidden cleverly under his shirt and vest. Merry wanted to gape, but he shut his mouth, and started ahead angrily, mumbling to himself. 

For the first half hour of their trip, all three young Hobbits were relatively silent. Frodo made several attempts at conversation, but the talk died almost instantly. Also, they had eaten all their food already, and Pippin started whining that he was still hungry. Merry snapped at him to be quiet, and told him that if he didn't, they were going to throw him overboard. Pippin was quiet for awhile, but he couldn't resist an urge to ask a question.   
"Where are we going, Merry?" Pippin asked. Merry didn't respond. Frodo laughed at his stubborn young cousin, and patted Pippin on the shoulder.   
"To the Overbourn Marshes. It's a fair long journey, but it's wonderful. We've been doing this almost three years, since Merry learned to operate the ferry when he was ten. Your uncle Saradoc told us about the great treasures left by travelers in the marshes, and we've been exploring it. So far, we've found--"   
"Frodo! Don't go telling our secrets!" Merry cried out. "Especially not to a blabbermouth like Pippin!" That was not entirely fair, as Pippin had done nothing at all to Merry to warrant such a labeling. At least, not yet.   
"I'd like to learn to "opiate" a ferry, too." Pippin said.   
"Not this one!" Merry snapped. "This is the Brandybuck ferry. No Took has ever picked up an oar on this ferry. And it's "operate," not "opiate". You're even stupider than other hobbits!"   
"Oh, come on Merry, let him alone. He's only five! Besides, remember, you're a Took. Your mother's a Took, remember?"   
"Shut up, Frodo!" Merry exclaimed, hotly. "My dad's a Brandybuck, though and that's what counts. I'm a Brandybuck on the side that counts, that's what I meant. He," Merry said, jabbing a finger at Pippin, "is a Took on the side that counts for him, so there you are."   
"Yes, Merry, but--" At that moment, Frodo stopped, and Merry stopped rowing the ferry. On the opposite shore, two small girl Hobbits with pigtails and pink flowery dresses were jumping up and down, yelling, and a third Hobbit, a boy, was flailing about in the water.   
"HELP!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!! SOMEONE SAVE MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!" The boy was screaming.   
Thinking fast, Merry, displaying himself every inch a Brandybuck, dove into the water and swam over to the boy. He grabbed the boy's shirt and dragged him over to the ferry. Frodo hauled the boy onto the ferry, and then grabbed Merry's hand and pulled him up firmly. The boy sat and coughed up water. Merry took back his oar, and rowed over to where the two girls were. The boy scampered up on shore, gasping for breath. Frodo jumped from the ferry to make sure the boy was alright, and little Pippin, curious, followed. Merry rowed the ferry closer to the shore and anchored it. The two girls tackled the boy with a massive hug, and the boy nearly died of shock.   
"Laur! Asphodel! That HURTS!" The boy squeaked. When they let him go, he rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at them. "Sisters," he groaned.   
"Oh, thank you!" The taller of the two girls said, throwing her arms around Merry, who tried to back away--no avail. The girl squeezed him in a tight hug, and then let him go to check on the boy. Frodo edged closer to watch, and Pippin took* Frodo's hand and peered around his elder cousin's leg.   
"Are you alright?" Frodo asked the boy, who was sitting with his legs straight out, leaning back on his hands, still sputtering a little.   
"I'm fine. Thanks, though! I told you that we shouldn't have come here!" He said, directing his last comment to his sisters.   
"Well you--"   
"Laurel! Ollie! You ought to be ashamed. We haven't even found out who saved your life, Ollie, and you're being impolite and arguing! Do you know how ashamed Mum would be of us?" She turned to the three boys. "I'm Asphodel Hallfaux. This is my sister, Laurel, and my brother Oliden, though they go by Laur and Ollie. We're from Great Fox Hall, by the Marish. Who're you?"   
"I'm Frodo Baggins, from Hobbiton. These are my cousins. This is Peregrin Took, from the Great Smials, and this is Meriadoc Brandybuck, from Brandy Hall--"   
"It's Merry to most, though." Merry interrupted.   
"I'm Pippin!" cried Pippin. Laurel squealed, and scooped Pippin up into her arms.   
"Oh, you're so adorable!" She exclaimed. Pippin was shrieked and began giggling madly. Merry rolled his eyes in disgust, but Frodo kicked him and silenced him with a look.   
"What are you doing up here? The Marish is a ways from here, isn't it? How'd you come to be up here?"   
"It's a long story," Laurel said, putting Pippin back on his feet. "It's Ollie's fault."   
"IT IS NOT! You're the ones who wanted to come down here! 'Let's go and see if we can see the Brandywine Bridge!' I said it wouldn't be good idea, but you didn't listen!"   
"The Brandywine Bridge?" Merry said. He laughed. "Oh, that's near 30 miles from here. You'd have spent ages getting there." Merry laughed again, thinking himself wonderful with all his knowledge of the Ferry and its waters.   
"I told them, though." Ollie said, sticking his tongue out at his sisters.   
"Oliden Hallfaux!" gasped Asphodel. "You'd better stop that this instant! You'll give off a bad impression to our new friends!"   
Laurel rolled her eyes at her sister, turned to Frodo and Merry. "Why are you out here?"   
"We're going to the Overb--" Frodo started, but Merry jabbed him in the stomach.   
"We were just going up the river, that's all."   
"No, Merry, you said to the Overboure Marshes, to get some treasure!" Pippin said.   
"Peregrin Took, you little--" Merry clenched his teeth and balled up his fists, but Frodo held him back. Pippin scampered behind Laurel's legs and whimpered. Asphodel found this extremely funny, and giggled.   
"Are they jealous of one another?" she asked.   
"Yes, very. Or rather Merry is of Pippin. Come here, now, Pip, to me. Merry won't bother you." Frodo said. Cautiously, Pippin hurried over Frodo, wrapping his arms around Frodo's legs. Ollie hopped up onto his feet.   
"Treasure, though? Really?"   
"No." Merry said, to the point. "That's the rumours, but there isn't any. I told him that to keep him quiet. He's a pest."   
"I think he's cute!" Laurel said. She went over and bent down next to Pippin, but there was a horrid growling sound, and she jumped back and fell over. Pippin giggled, however.   
"My tummy!" he said, laughing, but at once became serious. "I'm hungry!"   
"You haven't any food, I see." Asphodel said, helping her sister to her feet. "Would you come with us to Great Fox Hall? Our mum's making us a fresh batch of Verlag Swishers!" She received blank looks from Merry, Frodo and even little Pippin, so laughed.   
"It's our favourite dessert!" She said, as thought it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Mum puts in butter and brown sugar and caramel and heats it on a sauce pan and then pours it into a pan and lets it harden and cool off and then she cuts it, and we have it.** It's delicious! You'd love it!"   
"Please, Frodo? Can we?" Pippin cried, hopping up and down from one foot to the other, giving the puppy-dog look.   
"We have to get home, Frodo. We're going to--"   
"We'd love to," Frodo said, kicking Merry, half in revenge for Merry elbowing him in the stomach earlier, half to get his cousin to show some manners.   
"Jolly!" said Ollie. "Come on, then! I'll led the way!"   


A/N: *(Uh, this happened by accident, but my friend, who was reading it while I wrote it, pointed out that the word "took" comes after Pippin's name. Pippin Took. Haha.)   
** Part of the recipe for blondies, which are kinda like brownies. My cousin and I tasted the butter/brown sugar/caramel when my mom was making them, and they were yum. So we made our own, but just with those ingredients, and we let them harden. They're really rich and sugary, but it's yummers. 


	5. Arrival at Great Fox Hall

Disclaimer: I own Great Fox Hall, and all the Hallfauxes, yada yada, etc. I DON'T own Merry, Pippin, Frodo, or anyone else in this story who isn't a Hallfaux.   


The trip to the Marish was quite long, but Asphodel, Laurel and Ollie knew where they were going. Along the way, Laurel and Ollie asked Frodo and Merry several questions about where they were from. Even Pippin told a little about himself. But as they walked further, the talk began to die down. Pippin started whimpering that his legs were "going into jelly", so Frodo lifted him up and carried him. He was asleep not long after.   
"I don't know why you baby him so much, Frodo. I seem to be the only one to see how much of a terror he is. He's so sweet and angelic around everyone else!"   
"Merry, we've had this conversation already. You're being unfair to Pippin. There's nothing you can do about it, so just drop it, Mer." Frodo said. Merry was still complaining about Pippin, and it was beginning to get on Frodo's nerves. Frodo did not anger easily. In fact, it took a great deal to get him even upset. But Merry was taking this too far, and it was aggravating Frodo to a great extent.   
"Oi! Look, there's Great Fox Hall!" Ollie called back to them, grinning. Merry looked up and was amazed at what he saw. A great Hobbit hole, built into what looked like a mountain-hill. It was at least two stories, from what Frodo and Merry could see, for some Hobbit-holes may have secret upper floors in the back.   
"Every Hallfaux in our grandfather's branch of the family lives here." Laurel reported. "The only problem is, we don't have many girl cousins near our age."   
"Yes, Ollie gets all the luck, although he is the eldest of the boy cousins. The girls are all too little."   
"Our family's a bit scattered." Ollie said. "Our grandparents, Overbund Hallfaux and Myrella Proudfoot, they had a lot of daughters, and those daughters went off to Hobbiton and married there, and don't come back so much."   
"You said that all the Hallfauxes lived here though." Merry said.   
"It's true for my grandfather's sons, for my father and uncles." Asphodel explained. "They all live here with their families permanently. They're all Hallfauxes by name. Our aunts are married off and living with their husbands, and rarely visit, except for my Aunt Lily. She lives at Hallfaux with her little son and daughter. Her husband died before the girl was born, and so she moved back in with the family. You see, our father is the eldest of his brothers and sisters, five years older than our eldest aunt. After him, there were six daughters in a row, and then after that, three more sons. So there's quite an age gap, really. The only thing is, now, all of aunts, have come by with their husbands and families for our grandfather's birthday next week, and everything is busy!"   
"Except Auntie Mirabella, Asphodel, don't forget." Ollie piped up. "Our Aunt Mirabella married as soon as possible and no one's heard from her since. She dislikes this family."   
"Now, Ollie, don't tell stories when you don't know the full. Look, here we are at the gate. Should you wake the little one?"   
"No, he'll be fine." Frodo said, patting Pippin on the back. Pippin didn't stir. Merry rolled his eyes.   
"He'll wake up as soon as we get in the Hall. There's nearly always a hungry Hobbit-child, so there's always cooking going on!" Laurel said with a laugh. She took hold on one of the great doors and opened it. Inside, there was a bustle of activity. Two young Hobbit lads were wrestling on the floor, and immediately, Asphodel went over and pried them apart. She took each boy by the back of his shirt and picked them up. They both struggled to get back at one another, but seeing that they couldn't, they simply gave up.   
"Billy, Dorian, will you two ever learn? Look at you, you're both a mess! Go on and wash up!" Asphodel dragged both boys down into one of the hallways. Frodo and Merry heard them protesting and struggling even as they couldn't see them anymore.   
"Come on, now." Laurel said. "We'll introduce you to our parents!"   
Merry started to follow, but Frodo grabbed the back of his arm. "Listen, Merry," Frodo instructed. "You leave Pippin alone. We're guests here, and you can't go showing off a bad example. They'll think of you horrid. You'd better keep away from Pippin. Is that clear?"   
"Yes, Frodo."   
"Alright then." Frodo released his grip on Merry's arm, and gently shook Pippin awake. Immediately, the little hobbit boy's eyes sprang open, and his nose sniffed the air. "Something smells good!" he whispered to Frodo. Frodo laughed, but whispered something in Pippin's ear. Pippin's eyes widened and darted over to Merry for a moment. Merry glared at him, and Pippin cast his eyes downward, and then nodded. Frodo put him down and took his hand.   
"Coming?" Laurel said, a tad impatiently. Frodo nodded, and led Pippin. Merry followed.   
  


"Mum! Da!" Ollie called, as they entered a large and comfortable looking study. A rather old looking male Hobbit was sitting in a chair, eyebrows knitted together in worry. A female Hobbit stood beside him, reading something over his shoulder. Silently, the group of young Hobbits approached them.   
"…fearing that we won't have much for the coming winter. It's going to hurt our funds, having my sisters and their families here. What if--" The male hobbit stopped in mid-sentence, for he caught a glimpse of his young son and daughter coming into the room. Two unfamiliar faces followed behind his children. No, three. Another smaller Hobbit held onto the hand of the older looking one.   
"Laurelinae, (A/N: Laurelinae is actually Laurel's real name. She is usually only called that by her mother, although her father calls her that when she is in trouble. She usually goes by Laurel, which was how Asphodel introduced her to the three boys.) Oliden, where have you been? We've been worrying."   
"Oh, Mum, we were just playing!" Laurel said, cringing slightly. "Mum, please don't call me Laurelinae! You know I don't like it when you do!"   
"Who are these three young lads behind you, Laurel, my dear? You know you shouldn't bring strangers home."   
"Oh, Papa, we're sorry! These are our new friends!" Oliden said. He turned to Frodo, Merry and Pippin. "This is our mother, Rosie Hallfaux, and our father, Oliren. But I'm afraid I've forgotten your names, so I can't finish the introduction."   
"Oh, Ollie!" Laurel said with a giggle. She seized Merry's arm and pulled him forward. "This is Meriadoc Brandybuck, from Buckland, right?"   
"Yes. Merry, for short though. Nice to meet you, sir."   
"Ah!" Oliren stood and strode over to Merry, seizing his hand and shaking it vigorously. "My pleasure! But, glory be, I'd never thought I'd get to meet Rorimac Brandybuck's own grandson and heir! We'd been great friends as young hobbits growing up, Old Rory and I. How's the old rascal doing?"   
"Fine, sir. Still in his prime. He and my father have been teaching me more about Buckland lately, getting me ready."   
"And your father, Saradoc, right? Ah, a wonderful man!" He clapped Merry on the shoulder a little too roughly, and the younger Hobbit nearly fell over. Laurel let out a laugh, and then grabbed Pippin by the hand.   
"Papa, Mama, this is little Peregrin Took, from Tuckbourough, isn't it? His father's Thain of the Great Smials." Oliren moved from Merry and grabbed Pippin's hand. A little scared by the encounter, Pippin squeaked and ran to hid behind Frodo. Oliren let out a laugh, and then pointed to Frodo.   
"Now that I've got a good glimpse of you, you look awfully familiar. Let me guess, now, don't tell……Are you Drogo Baggins' boy?"   
"Yes, sir. Frodo Baggins."   
"Ha! I knew it!" He grabbed Frodo's hand and shook it. "Your father was a great man! A tragedy, his death was. My extended sympathies. But you're living with Mad Baggins? Old Bilbo, right? As his heir?"   
"Yes," Frodo said, uncomfortably. He'd never really appreciated the fact that people still called Bilbo, "Mad Baggins", especially to Frodo's face.   
"Ah, well it's always nice to have the heirs to three of the most famous places of the Hobbit lands in Great Fox Hall. Will you be staying for supper?"   
At that moment, two voices popped into Merry's head. 

"Mum! Papa, we're going now!"   
"Yes, darling. Be back before dinner!" 

"Is dinner already passed?" Merry asked.   
"Oh, goodness, yes." Rosie said. "Dinner was over an hour ago!"   
Merry grabbed Frodo's arm. "We promised my mother we'd be back for dinner, remember? And we'll be in bigger trouble since Pippin's with us!"   
"Oh, no! Merry you're right!" Frodo turned to Oliren. "We're really sorry to run out like this, but we promised my Aunt Esme that we'd be back at Brandy Hall in time for dinner."   
"Nonsense. The sky's getting dark. You won't make it back in time for anything if you leave now. I'll send a messenger on to Brandy Hall telling your mother you three are safe."   
"Would you mind much, sir, if we wrote it?" Frodo asked. "We really aren't supposed to have Pippin. He snuck and came, and I expect they're very worried."   
"Not at all. You two, Meriadoc and Frodo, come over here and get some parchment. Ollie, would you think Pippin would like to go and play with the other little ones?"   
"Yes, I would please." Pippin said. Rosie laughed, and came over to take Pippin's hand.   
"Come, Laurelinae, Oliden. You two get washed up and ready for supper." Over her shoulder, she called to her husband and two guests. "Supper ought to be ready in fifteen minutes, so hurry."   
Frodo nodded, and he and Merry went over to the desk. Oliren got up and went over to one of the many bookshelves in the room.   
"I'll wait for you to finish, so I can give it to the messenger." He told the boys. "That way, I can show you where the dining hall is. It gets hectic at mealtimes." 

"Well, what should we say?" Merry asked. Frodo took the quill from the table and dabbed it into the ink bottle.   
"Here, look. I'll write a letter, and you see if it looks alright." Frodo said. Frodo thought for a while, and finally began. It was some time later when Frodo put the letter in Merry's hands.   
"Finished! Have a look, what do you think?"   
Merry read aloud: 

Dear Aunt Esme, Uncle Saradoc, and Uncle Bilbo,   
This is Frodo and Merry writing to you. Pippin is here with us too. We're in the Marish, at Great Fox Hall. While we were on the river, we met three Hobbits, and invited us to their home. We lost track of the time, and by the time we arrived, we realized we should have come home first. We're sending this by way of a messenger, but we wanted only to tell you that Merry and Pippin and I are going to be staying with our friends. We'll leave tomorrow morning, promptly, and probably await any punishment you'll give us. Which we deserve, I suppose. We ought to sign off, because the Hallfauxes are serving supper now. We suppose we should give you a full explanation when we arrive back at Brandy Hall. Just in case you didn't read it ahead, Pippin's alright, and he's here with us, so it's another thing less for you to worry about. We'll see you when we return. 

Much love,   
Frodo & Merry

  


"Ok, it's alright." Merry said. "Here, Mr. Oliren, the letter." Merry stood and went over to the elderly Hobbit with the letter.   
"Fine! Alright, come boys, we'll go for supper now. We're having Swishers for dessert, a wonderful treat. Come, now lads!" 

Frodo and Merry followed Oliren out of the study into a large dining hall. Several hobbits were already seated, most of them quite small. Pippin was sitting in between Ollie and a little Hobibt girl with a few dirt smudges all over her face, but they kept looking at one another and giggling. Oliren directed them to their seats before running off quickly in another direction. A few minutes passed, and more hobbits arrived at the table. Only one seat remained empty, that of Oliren, but the old hobbit arrived moments later. He went to his seat and banged on the goblet.   
"Hey! We have three guests! Three brave hobbits who, as I am told by my young daughter, Laurel, saved my son." He motioned for Frodo, Merry and Pippin to stand. 

Merry scowled to himself. How is it that Pippin and Frodo were getting credit for what he'd done? It was Merry who had jumped in the water, Merry who had swam over to Ollie, Merry who had pulled him up onto the ferry. And yet Frodo and Pippin were getting credit. It wasn't fair. Now, everyone seemed to be against him.   
  
  


A/N: I know, this wasn't my best ending of a chapter. I couldn't think of anything else to add. I'm open for suggestions to editing this chapter! Thanks. A family tree of the Hallfauxes is on the next chapter, in case you wanna know. Pt. 2 of this chapter will be Ch. 8 


	6. The Return Home

A/N: I am soooo sorry for the long wait. When we took the computer to get fixed, the guy acidentally erased everything in my FanFiction folder, and my school folder. Luckily, all the assignments in the school folder are already turned in, but I really miss my FF folder. I had finished drafts for all of my stories, and was so excited to upload them for you all to read. We finally got a floppy disk drive(ours broke some time ago), and being the tech freak person I am, I decided to install it. I succeeded only in messing up some wire, and having to remove my CD Drive and the two blank area drives, and my computer got messed up. So we took it to the guy's house and he fixed it, but I lost my two files. Oh, and I'll try to update for Lost Trust as soon as I can. I'm fixing up some of the plot holes, y'know stuff that didn't make sense, so I'll try to have that up within the week. 

This chapter is a combination of two chapters, because it seemed to need the other chapter in it to get the feel of it. I'm trying my best to re-write the chapters, and this isn't my best version of this chapter. I tried to remember all that I'd written before, but I couldn't. Ah well. Hope you like it! 

Disclaimer: Hallfauxes, nothing else. Wish I did. But I don't. Oh yeah, I also removed the family tree from this version, because it isn't really needed.   
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The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, and many conversations, Merry announced that he felt it was time for them to leave. Fredregar and Aldegreen, the husbands of two of Ollie's aunts, insisted that the three stay for lunch, but Frodo denied the offer, much to Pippin's dismay. An hour or so before second breakfast, Oliren called a carriage to take them back to Brandy Hall. As the driver escorted the boys out towards the carriage, Asphodel, Laurel, Ollie, and a number of their young cousins came out to wave goodbye to them. Asphodel scooped Pippin up and cuddled him close, while Laurel ruffled his hair. Pippin giggled and blushed when Laurel planted a kiss on his cheek. Merry and Ollie both rolled their eyes. With a hearty laugh, Oliren bustled the boys into the carriage. The three boys climbed in, having been supplied with a rather large basket of food, with Mrs. Hallfaux's blessing, for the long journey. There wasn't much room in the carriage, only enough for one person to sit on each side, so Frodo asked Merry if he'd sit Pippin on his lap. Merry would have rather held the food basket, but Frodo's look shut him up. Pippin was rather heavy for being so small. Frodo and Pippin leaned out the windows, waving. The young Hallfauxes gathered on the lawn waved back, and called out to them:   
"Good-bye! Nice to meet you!"   
"Have a nice trip!"   
"Come back and see us!"   
"Don't forget us!"   
"We'll miss you!"   
"Come back soon!"   
"Good-bye!" 

The carriage jolted up with a start, as the pony clomped northwards, towards the Brandywine Bridge. Quite some time after their departure, once he had succeeded in devouring several slices of bread, a large handful of mushrooms, three apples, and four slices of cheese, Pippin fell against Merry in a deep slumber. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, as he wasn't really used to having to sleep on the floor. Frodo was staring out the window, deep in thought, so Merry decided not to disturb him. Merry looked down at Pippin, who was snoring lightly. He noticed that the little one seemed even younger while he slept.   
_Do I look younger when I sleep? What about Frodo? Do we all look younger when we sleep?_ Merry thought. He looked at Frodo, and was a bit surprised to see signs of age on Frodo's face. It jolted Merry. _He's not even thirty yet, and he's already looking old. My mother told me all about Frodo's parents drowning, and about Frodo being, well, _delicate_, but I never realised that he looked so old sometimes._ Merry studyed Frodo's face a bit longer, until Frodo realised that Merry was looking at him.   
"Everything all right?" Frodo asked, turning to look at Merry, eyebrows knitted together.   
Merry snapped from his spell. "I'm fine, everything's fine."   
"All right..." Frodo turned back towards the window, and Merry gazed down at the floor. His eyes then shifted again to Pippin. _He's not so bad when he's sleeping. _Merry thought to himself. _He looks so...so...angelic. No, wait, what am I saying? I hate him, don't I? I don't love him...do I? No, no, I hate him. He ate my mushrooms, and he stole my bed, and my parents never pay me any attention now that he's here...But why do I feel funny inside? Why do I hear a voice telling me it's my duty to protect him? Protect him from what? Nothing ever happens in the Shire for me to protect him from. No, I don't love him. He's a pest. But...should I truly say I hate him? Do I?_   
Merry placed a hand on Pippin's cheek. Pippin stirred, and Merry pulled his hand back, slightly alarmed. Merry shifted Pippin, who was scrunched up against Merry and the wall, and put Pippin back onto his lap. Pippin stirred again, still not waking, and stuck his thumb in his mouth. Merry brushed some of Pippin's curls back from his eyes. He leaned down and kissed the top of Pippin's head, and rested his chin atop Pippin's curls. _He is, after all, still little, and he doesn't know any better, I suppose. And even if he is bothersome, I think I do. Yeah, I do._ Merry shut his own eyes for a moment, before opening them again and turning his gaze to the window. 

Frodo watched this from out of the corner of his eye. He'd been right in making Pippin sit with Merry. Bilbo had told him some time ago that what young Merry needed was a friend. His parents had never had any other children, and he was always lonely. His father was an only child also, and most of the child of Merry's great-uncles and -aunts were either girls or older. The closest friends that Merry had were his three girl cousins, Melliot, Merimas and Mentha, and they were rare visitors to Brandy Hall. Merry had been quite spoiled as a boy, and was still spoiled by his parents. They rarely refused him anything, and he always got what he wanted. He wasn't arrogant or selfish, but he needed someone to talk to, someone to share adventures with. Merry liked Frodo's company, but Frodo knew that Merry needed someone closer to his own age. More than anything, Merry needed a friend. Frodo had known it the moment he'd seen Pippin. Sure, Pippin was eight years younger, but he might just be the breath of air that Merry so badly needed.   


Night fell by the time the carriage rolled up the lane, stopping in front of Brandy Hall. The driver opened the door for the three young boys. Frodo hopped out first, with the basket, and Merry, with Pippin in tow, climbed out, slowly. Pippin woke as they arrived, his eyes blinking widely. He yawned, and Merry put him down, where he stumbled at first. Having been sitting so long, his legs took some time to get accoustomed to solid ground again. The driver tipped his hat at them and hopped back onto the carriage, rolling back down the lane towards the Brandywine Bridge, back to the Marish. 

Frodo sighed and approached the great door. "We're in for it, you know." He told Merry. With another sigh, he knocked on the door. 

Esmerelda Brandybuck was at the door in a second. She hurried them inside. Bilbo and Saradoc were leaning against the fireplace in the front hall, while Merry's grandfather, Rorimac, called Rory, sat in a chair nearby. When Bilbo saw the three boys coming in, he approached them and took Frodo's arm firmly.   
"I'm sorry about this, Saradoc, Esme." Bilbo said. "Come, Frodo, we've overstayed our welcome. The carriage is in the back."   
Bilbo thanked Merry's parents and pulled Frodo to the door. Frodo said a quick goodbye to Merry and Pippin, and to Merry's parents, before Bilbo hurried him out the door. 

They stood there, in silence for a few minutes. Merry's grandfather broke the silence.   
"Come, Peregrin, lad, and let your aunt and uncle have a talk with your cousin." Old Rory said, ushering Pippin from the room. When the door closed, Esmerelda nearly exploded with rage. The Took side of her, the one brimming with emotions, spilled over. She could be kind and gentle one moment, raging the next, and as stubborn as a child another.   
"DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED WE WERE ABOUT YOU? RUNNING OFF LIKE THAT! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, AND WE'D'VE NEVER KNOWN! AND LEADING PIPPIN AFTER YOU, MERRY I'M ASHAMED! YOU AND FRODO KNOW BETTER, AND WE EXPECTED BETTER FROM YOU!" His mother screamed, angrily.   
"Mum..." Merry began, but his mother wasn't finished.   
"WE WERE WORRIED SICK, AND YOU NEVER STOPPED TO CARE, DID YOU? NO, YOU DIDN'T! AND TAKING OFFERS FROM STRANGERS, MERRY, WE TAUGHT YOU BETTER!"   
"Mum." Merry pressed again.   
YOU DON'T KNOW THOSE HOBBITS IN THE MARISH, AND IT WOULD HAVE SERVED YOU RIGHT IF THEY'D KIDNAPPED YOU AND TAKEN YOU AWAY FOR DISOBEYING US LIKE THAT! YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE NEVER TO CROSS THE BRANDYWINE RIVER WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION!"   
"Mum."   
"AND LURING PIPPIN WITH YOU, BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT HE WOULD GET INTO TROUBLE? YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, MERRY, YOU'RE A BAD INFLUENCE ON HIM, AND YOU NEED TO STRAIGHTEN UP. YOU KEEP GETTING OUT OF LINE AND YOUR FATHER AND I WILL SEND YOU OFF!"   
"MUM!"   
"WHAT?" His mother stopped and glared at him.   
"Pippin followed us!" Merry protested angrily. "I told him to go home before he got into trouble, but Frodo insisted he come. And if we hadn't come when we did, Ollie would have drowned. I helped save someone's life, Mama. You have to realise that--"   
"REALISE? REALISE WHAT? MERRY, YOU AND YOUR THICK HEAD AND QUICK TONGUE WILL GET YOU INTO TROUBLE ONE OF THESE DAYS." Esmerelda Brandybuck's face was red with fury, and her husband stood and came to put a hand on her shoulder.   
"Darling, calm down." Saradoc said, forcing his wife into the chair that Rory had formerly been sitting. Merry attempted to take this interference to escape, but his father was too quick, and caught him by the arm.   
"Don't move."   
"But, Papa!" Merry whined.   
"Not another word, Meriadoc." His father said firmly, and Merry huffed in anger. Why were his parents being so unfair!? His father went over to his mother and the two of them talked for some time. Finally, Saradoc turned around to face his son.   
"Your mother and I have decided on a punishment that we believe fit." He said, and waited a beat, as though waiting for the very idea of a punishment sink in to Merry. It obviously had. Merry's mouth was wide open, and his eyes were so wide they almost popped out. His parents had never, _ever_ punished him. As the only child, he'd always been able to get away with anything. His father continued.   
"For your punishment...you're not to use the ferry for two months. You're confined in Buckland for two months. You're not to go past the Brandywine Bridge or beyond the Old Forest, and you're to stay within the area of Brandy Hall. There are consequences for your actions, my boy, and you're going to have to suffer them. Your mother and I have been very, er...lenient, with you in the past, but we're going to have to stop that. You'll have to realise that we're doing this for your own good. You need to realise that--Merry!"   
Merry had snapped from the shock of punishment, and now turned around, ready to storm to his room. His father again grabbed his arm and stopped him.   
"Why can't you be fair?!" Merry exploded, trying to yank loose. His father only held on tighter.   
"This is for your own good, son." His mother said softly from her seat, having calmed down for the most part.   
"You're only doing this because Pippin's here! I can't believe you! You didn't even ask if I was alright! You went straight to yelling at me! You don't even care about me and I'm tired of you never paying attention to me! You won't even let me have a party! Why can't you be like normal parents? You never have time for me!"   
"Merry, you're being unfair, love, now--" His mother was on her feet again.   
"No, you're the ones being unfair! And don't "love" me, just because I'm saying something against you. You're always telling me that I should speak my mind, that I should say what I believe, and I believe you're treating me like a child, and I'm not! And...and I think...I think you're terrible parents! That's what I think! You care about everything and everyone except your own son! I wish...I hate you. You want the truth, and there it is. I hate you! I hate you!" Merry stamped his foot, the same manner of a child who wasn't getting his way. "Why can't you...why can't you be like Bilbo? He's much better than either of you!"   
"Why don't you go and live with Bilbo then, if you think we're such bad parents!" Esmerelda exclaimed, before she could stop herself. There was a pregnant pause, a horrid silence that blanketed the room. Merry hadn't really meant what he'd said, and neither had his mother, but the damage was done. He felt a hot burning in his eyes as he squeezed his eyes shut and fought back the tears.   
"Fine! I will! I'll go and pack now!" He said, and turned, running from the room. His mother reached as hand out for him as he ran, and then both hands went to cover her mouth and nose in a gasping motion. She stumbled back to the chair, and collapsed into it, sobbing into her hands. Her husband went over to her and comforted her. Their son had inherited a good deal of his mother's fiery temper, but he was not old enough to be able to control his emotions.   
"We offer him everything he wants," Esmerelda said softly. "Why would he say something like that?"   
"You know he didn't mean it, darling." Saradoc said. "But...perhaps there is one thing he needs that we can't give it to him. But I believe there is someone who can." 


	7. Bedtime Confessional

A/N: I wrote this last night, after I updated my blurty, because I was bored and no one was online. Well, it turned out to be a real turning point in the story, and I hope you all like it! Sorry for such a long wait, I have really bad writers' block and wasn't getting around to finishing my chapters. I promise that my other two chapter stories will be updated soon, so please be patient with me! This chapter was going to be extra long to make up for my lack of update, but it got a little too long, so I split it up and uploaded both of them right after each other. Enjoy!   
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Merry stormed back into his room and threw himself onto the cot. He shoved his face onto his pillow and let the hot tears of anger spill from his face. He didn't notice Pippin, who had been sitting on Merry's bed, get down and go over to him. Pippin put a hand on Merry's arm, showing his own concern. When he was sad, Pervinca always held him close and told him everything would be all right. But who would do that for Merry? Merry was too busy crying his anger on his pillow to notice Pippin climb onto the cot. Pippin gently climbed over Merry, and wrapped his tiny arms around his cousin's larger frame, in an attempt at a hug. Merry noticed this time, and roughly shoved Pippin off of him.   
"Leave me alone!" Merry said, jolting up from the cot to stand on the floor. "You've been enough trouble already, and now my parents think I'm terrible. If you weren't here, it would have been fine. Me and Frodo are fine by ourselves, we didn't need to tagging along to cause any trouble, and you have!" 

"Why are you yelling at me?" Pippin cried, his first real outburst. He had enough Took blood in him that he was prone to fierce emotional fits, and this was one of those times. But Merry was half Took as well, and he was prone to the same sorts of things. Merry glared at him in anger. 

"You're the one who turned my parents against me!" Merry exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Pippin. Pippin climbed from the cot and stood as tall as he could, which, for that matter, wasn't very tall at all. "Maybe if you were a nicer hobbit, they'd like you!" Pippin retaliated. Merry stood, temporarily dumbfounded, but he took up his argument again. 

"Things were just find until you came here. My father can't even stand to look at me now." 

"It's not my fault!" Pippin said, his voice faltering a bit. "I just wanted to be your friend, but you won't let me! Everyone always says I'm too little to do this, too little to do that. There aren't any boys my age at Tuckborough, just my stupid sisters. I don't have any other boys to play with, and I wish I did." Pippin let out a couple of tiny sniffles. "I just wanted to be your friend. No one else seems to like me. Your Mama and Papa are nice to me because I'm family. I wanted someone to play with!" He ran over and took a handkerchief from his trunk and sat back on his bed, wiping away the newly falling tears from his face. Merry scoffed. 

"If you're trying to get my pity, it won't work. I'm not that stupid." Merry said. He started to pace the room. He snuck glances at Pippin, trying to see if the smaller boy would cease his crying, but Pippin would not look at him, instead turned away and kept crying. Merry rolled his eyes and went back to sit on the cot. He started to wonder what had happened. How was it that when they were in the carriage, coming back to Buckland, Merry had seemed to find a sort of delightfulness holding Pippin in his arms, watching him sleep. Of course, Pippin knew nothing of it, having been asleep, but Merry had held him and rocked him, and thought he even loved him. Now they were fighting again. Merry then realised that he could relate to what Pippin was saying. There weren't many other children his age around Buckland, with the exception of his cousin Merimas and his sisters Mentha and Melilot. But they usually didn't come around as often. Sometimes Merry would have to play with his younger cousins, Doderic and Illberic, who were six and four, but lately they never came by anymore, preoccupied with their baby sister, Celandine. They weren't much fun away, taking after their father, who was quite lazy. 

Merry stared at the floor. _Maybe I was too hard on him._ He thought. _After all, he's just like me. I haven't got any cousins to play with all the time. Maybe he needs a friend as well. Maybe I should try and understand him. It could be good after all. I should at least give him a chance._

"Pippin, come here." 

"Leave me alone!" 

"Come here. Right now. I have to tell you something important." 

"You said you hated me." 

"I don't hate you. Please, just come here a minute. If you want to go back crying, you can. I just want to tell you something." 

Pippin sniffled and wiped his reddened eyes. He climbed from the bed and awkwardly walked towards the cot, sitting a couple of inches away from Merry. "What?" 

Merry took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I was so mean to you. I never really did give you a chance. You didn't do anything to me, and I just exploded on you. I'm sorry." 

"I ate your mushrooms." Pippin pointed out. Merry shrugged it off. 

"It's not that big of a deal. Mama can make more. I guess I was nervous that day, meeting someone new and all. I didn't want you to come, really. And my party was called off, so I wasn't in the best of moods." 

"A party?" Pippin asked excitedly, scooting closer to Merry, eyes wide. Pippin had never been to a party before, save the small ones his sisters had at home before they had their real parties. Pippin had always been told he was too small to attend those. "When is it? Can I come?" 

"You're the reason I can't have it," Merry said. "My parents said it would be too wild with a bunch of tweenagers running around. They thought you'd feel left out." Merry's expression showed that it seemed he didn't care, but his tone said different. Pippin lowered his eyes. 

"I'm sorry, Merry. I've never been to a party before. I wanted to go. I'm always too little. No one ever lets me do anything." 

Merry thought of giving Pippin a comforting hug, but decided against it. He wasn't sure how the smaller boy would react to it. There was a very stretched silence, which last perhaps five minutes. Suddenly, Merry was hit with a wonderful idea. 

"Say, Pippin...I was thinking. My parents said that for my punishment I wasn't to go beyond the Old Forest, and that I had to stay in Buckland. I have a pony in the stables that runs horribly fast, and she won't mind giving us a ride through Buckland and the Old Forest in her cart. I'm sure my parents would want me to spend time with you. Do you want to go tomorrow?" 

"I should like that...aaaaaaaAaaaaahhhhh....very much." Pippin said, letting out a yawn in the middle of his sentence. Merry laughed. 

"Then get some sleep. We'll have a big today tomorrow. It'll be fun." 

"My mama always tells me stories when I go to sleep. Will you tell me a story?" 

"I don't know any." 

"Please? I don't care if it's silly, I just want a story." 

"I-I suppose I could..." 

"Okay." Pippin nestled against Merry's chest and Merry put his arm around Pippin. He decided to tell the tale he knew best of all, about Bilbo and the 13 dwarves being caught in the forest by the three hungry trolls and Gandalf tricking the trolls into arguing until daybreak when they all turned to stone. When he finished, he looked down at Pippin. The child was sleeping, his little body rising and falling as he breathed to some soft rhythm. Merry gently picked Pippin up and put him on the bed instead of the cot. Then, Merry changed into his own nightclothes and climbed into the cot, lulled to sleep by Pippin's soft snores and the cool breeze that floated in through the open window. 


	8. The Art of Doing Dishes

"WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP!" Pippin screamed. Merry nearly fell out of the bed in shock. Pippin was sitting on Merry's stomach, already dressed. 

"WAKE UP! It's time to get up! Let's go!" Pippin cried, grabbing onto Merry's shoulders and shaking them as best he could. 

"All right, all right." Merry grumbled. He gently pried Pippin off of him. The sun light streaming into the window hurt his eyes, so he made a note to move the cot later on. Pippin gave an excited yell when Merry pulled himself out of bed. "What time is it?" Merry asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes. 

"Almost time for breakfast!" Pippin said, bouncing up and down impatiently on the edge of the cot. "Come on, Merry, I want to go on the pony cart!" 

"We'll go after elevensies. Mama might make us something nice for lunch." 

"What if we're not allowed to go? 

"We will be. I'm going to tell them that I want to show you around Buckland. They'll believe it. I think..." Merry stopped suddenly. "Never mind. Here. I'm going to go and get dressed myself. Go on in to breakfast, I'll be there when I'm finished." 

"Okay." Pippin said, skipping off towards the dining room. Merry went into the washroom and pumped some water into the basin. Brandy Hall had been built over a series of tiny lakes that flowed several feet underneath the ground. This pump led to one of these. There was a small fire and a little stove in the washroom as well, in case someone wanted a warm bath. Merry took a cloth and dipped it into the icy water. It feel nice and refreshing on his face. Merry also ran some soap and water over his teeth. It wasn't a very good taste, but it gave Merry's teeth a nice feeling. Not many hobbits did this, but Merry, who had learned about it from Bilbo, found it useful. He thought it would be a nice idea to show Pippin sometime, as Merry was sure that he, Frodo, Bilbo and his own parents were the only hobbits in the Shire to do it. He had revealed the secret only his parents and no one else. It would do a hobbit well to know it, though, so Merry made a mental note that next time Frodo came by, he would discuss sharing their secret. When he was finished, Merry went back into his room and pulled out his clothes. He made sure to put on his scarf, which was his favourite garment of clothing. His mother had made it for him when he was a small child, and he treasured it above all other things. It was a dark grey, with patches of red, orange, purple and green on them. About two inches from each end, the scarf was frayed with bits of orange, yellow, purple and grey strands of string._(A/N: You know what I'm talking about. It's the scarf Pippin wears in the movie. I'm horrible with describing things like this, plus I couldn't find a really good picture of the scarf. But just so you know, it's the one Pip wears in the movies.)_ Merry wore it almost anywhere. The only time he didn't wear it was when he was going with Frodo to the Marshes. He didn't want it to get lost. Satisfied that he looked presentable enough, Merry went into the dining room. His mother, father, and Pippin were sitting at the table eating. Merry slid into his chair and helped himself to some bacon and sausage. 

"Did you sleep well last night, darling?" His mother asked. She was making an attempt to start conversation, hoping to gain her son's love again. 

"Yes." Merry said simply. He loved his mother dearly, but the way she had spoken to him last night had both shocked and scared him. 

"And you, Pippin. Did you sleep well?" 

"Yes, Auntie Esme. Merry told me a story before I went to sleep, so I slept better." 

"Oh? What story was that?" 

"About Cousin Bilbo and the trolls. I wasn't scared when he told it, but if I was Cousin Bilbo, I'd be scared of trolls." 

"Don't worry, my lad," Saradoc said with a laugh. "Neither you nor Merry will ever have to worry about trolls or goblins or creatures of a less than savory nature. Hobbits, my boy, never go on any adventures, and never did anything unexpected." 

"What about Bilbo, Papa?" Merry asked. 

"What about him? If that meddling old wizard hadn't come and taken him, everything would be just fine. Now Frodo is a fine lad as any, but I don't like him being up at Bag End with Bilbo. Too much mischief in that old hobbit. Not natural, not natural at all." 

"I think Bilbo's grand, Papa. And he did all sorts of wonderful things. He helped to kill a dragon, I think that's wonderful!" Merry exclaimed. His father shrugged. 

"Something's not right about him. He's looked the same for years. Not natural for a hobbit to look so young at his age. He's nearly a hundred and five, and has barely aged since he came back to the Shire fifty-five years ago." 

"Maybe it was magic, Papa. Maybe Mr. Gandalf put some spell on him and made him stay young looking, but he's really getting old. Wouldn't be it nice if he lived to be older than the Old Took?" 

"It would. And as we discussed the day before yesterday, that will happen when you and Pippin here, have surpassed the Bullroarer." 

"And that will end this conversation." Esmerelda cut in, speaking to her husband and son. "You've both barely touched your food. Now, eat, both of you." 

There was a silence for five minutes as the four finished breakfast. When Merry saw everyone was finished, he jumped up. "I'll do the dishes!" He said. "C'mon, Pippin, you can help me." Merry took the empty plates, cups and silverware from the table and hurried into the kitchen. He used another of the pumps and pumped cold water into a pan, while Pippin watched, amazed. At the Great Smials, Pippin had never lifted a finger to do anything. They had servants to do all the work for them, and so it gave Pippin and his sisters plenty of time to sit outdoors and lay in the grass, doing nothing. And Pippin, not only the youngest child, but his father's only son and heir, was never expected to do much of anything. He was perhaps even more spoiled than Merry, but it didn't show. He acted much like a normal child, rather than the heir of the greatest title in the Shire, but was very ignorant to many things that normal Shire-children are used to. But Pippin was also very curious, always asking questions. Only three years before, when he was still in diapers, he tormented his parents, sisters, and his nurse by constantly asking questions like, 'Why's the sky blue?' 'How come the birds fly and we can't?' 'Why is the grass green?' 'Where does the sun go at night?' 'How many hobbits live in the Shire?' 'What colour is air?' and 'Why is this called this, and that called that?' His curiosity drove his family insane, and they finally had to threaten him with taking away his meals if he didn't stop with his infernal questions. Pippin had stopped asking, but his curiosity never waned. Now, as he watched Merry boiling the water over the small stove, his curiosity exploded again. 

"What are you doing?" 

"I'm boiling this water so I can do the dishes. Haven't you ever done dishes before?" 

"No." 

"You've never done dishes before?" Merry said in surprise. 

"The servants always do them. You don't have any servants, do you?" 

"I have my old tutor. He taught my papa. He doesn't live here. He comes by every other week. You'll meet him next week." 

"But you don't have real servants." 

"No, we used to, but Papa let them all go. He said he and Mama wanted to do things their way without servants doing it for them. They wanted me to grow up knowing how to perform simple tasks that servants would have done. They let me run around Buckland and taught me to swim, and tried not to let me get spoiled." 

"Well we have servants and I have a nurse. Her name's Peony. She's not just mine, she took care of my sisters too. She still takes care of Vinca, but not so much Pimmie and Pearl. They're tweenagers already and they don't need a nurse. They have maids, like my mama. My papa has a footman, and so will I when I am old enough." 

"Will you really?" Merry said, in mock sarcasm, which Pippin didn't pick up. "But you've truly never washed dishes before?" 

"No." 

"Well here, I'll teach you. Come here, stand on this." Merry said, helping Pippin onto a small step, carved from wood. Merry had used it as a small child when he helped his mother to washed the dishes. Pippin climbed up awkwardly onto the step and watched Merry. Merry poured the steaming water into the basin and then a bucket of cold water in, to make it evenly warm. He then put in the dishes and took a rag and dunked it into the water, then brought it out, rubbing a small pink bar of soap. 

"Here, smell it. It has a nice scent to it." Merry said, offering the bar to Pippin. Pippin leaned over and smelled. 

"It smells like strawberries!" He said with a giggled. Merry smiled and rubbed the bar on the wet rag. He took a plate and rubbed the rag over it. The smell of strawberries drifted back into the kitchen. Pippin shut his eyes and sniffed the air, smiling blissfully as he inhaled the sweet scent. Merry put on a mischievous grin and splashed some water onto Pippin's face. Pippin gave a startled shriek and immediately let a bit of water into his own hands, flinging it at Merry. Most of it ended up on the floor, but a good deal got Merry. 

"Oh, you want to play like that, eh?" Merry said. He threw more water at Pippin, and Pippin retaliated by throw some back. Merry grabbed Pippin up in his arms and swung him 'round, holding his arm around Pippin's stomach. Pippin shrieked and bit Merry's arm. Merry yelped and dropped Pippin, who landed on his feet. With a wild yell, Pippin sped from the room, Merry hot on his heels. Pippin circled the table and hid behind his confused aunt, trying to hold back excited peals of giggles. Merry stopped when he got to the table, and got on his hands and knees and growled. Pippin screamed and darted from his hiding place, racing towards the bedrooms. But Merry was too fast for him, and caught Pippin 'round the stomach. Pippin twisted and turned and finally gave up. 

"Okay, Merry, you win!" Pippin said. Satisfied, Merry let Pippin down, and Pippin immediatly jumped on his older cousin, knocking him backwards. Pippin sat firmly on Merry's stomach and pronounced himself the winner. Merry, out of breath already, laughed. 

"Okay, okay, you win. I give up." 

"Promise?" Pippin said, furrowing his eyebrows as he eyed his cousin carefully. 

"I promise. Come on, we have to finish the dishes." Merry said. Pippin jumped off of Merry and let him stand up. But as soon as this was done, Pippin ran behind his cousin and jumped onto his back. 

"Giddy-yap!" Pippin cried, howling with laughter. Merry went into the kitchen, neighing like a horse, letting Pippin kick his sides like spurs. In the kitchen, Merry set Pippin down and taught him how to do dishes, and where to put them. They were quiet then, concentrating on their work. 

Back in the dining room, Saradoc and Esmerelda were completely confused. Only yesterday, their son had said that Pippin was the cause of his misery, and now they were playing as if they'd known each other for years. Lowering her voice, Esmerelda said to her husband: 

"What's going on? Do you remember the day we told Merry that Pippin was going to come and stay with us, how pessimistic Merry was?" 

"I do. But look, Esme, I think this could be good for Merry. He needs a friend most of all." 

"Do you think that's where we went wrong?" 

"Very much so." 

"Then we'll let them be. This could be the answer to everything we've hoped for." 

"Yes, my dear, I believe it is." 

And Saradoc stood, kissing his wife, and went off to his study. Esmerelda stood at the door to the kitchen and listened to the quiet conversation between her son and nephew for a few minutes, before going off into her own room to think. 


	9. River Accident

A/N: Kit, thanks for your note on the word, 'ok.' I don't feel like going to go back and fixing the rest of them. From now on, though, I'll try to make "okay" to 'alright.' I know it's spelled wrong, but I dislike it being two words. Much like 'alot' and 'a lot,' I like using the one-word way. Yes, it's grammatically incorrect, but I don't care! Okay, I have made you people wait waaaaaaay too long for my next chapters. So I'm sorry, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's kinda scary, someone gets hurt. And I'm not telling who or how. You'll have to find out for yourself. This won't be graphic like my other story, Lost Trust, which, by the way, you should check out now if you haven't already. Uh, yeah, here you go.   
* * * 

"Mama?" 

"What is it, love?" 

Merry eased slowly into his mother's room. Esmerelda sat in a rocking chair, sewing up some patches in her son's clothes. 

"Er...can..I know you said that I'm being punished, but...well, you said that I needed to treat Pippin more like a guest and less like a pest. Would it be alright if I took him on the pony cart? We wouldn't go very fast, and I think he'd like it. I know you'll probably say no, but I thought I'd see..." 

"That's fine, darling. I'm glad you are taking more interest in Pippin. Didn't I tell you that he is a lovely child?" 

"He's nice, Mama. Just a little misunderstood, I guess. We had a talk last night. He said that his sisters always baby him, and he doesn't like that. He's nearly six, though. And he's the baby. And the only boy." 

"The higher a family's title, I believe the more they baby their children." 

"You and Papa, you didn't baby me." 

"No, we didn't, because we have sense." 

Merry thought about this for a moment, but did not pursue the subject anymore. He suddenly became very interested in a flower pattern on the rug. His mother put down her sewing and came over to him and put her hand under his chin, lifting his face to look at hers. 

"What changed your mind about the little one, darling?" 

Merry decided he did not want to tell his mother about the carriage ride and what they'd spoken about the night before. 

"I guess we just understand each other, that's all." 

"Very well. When will you two being going on your ride?" 

"After elevensies, Mama, if you would let us." 

"Shall I put in some sandwiches for your luncheon, then?" 

"Yes, please. And mama?" 

"Yes, sweetheart?" Esmerelda turned around on her way back to her seat. 

"Thank you." Merry went over to her and kissed his mother, and then hurried from the room. And Esmerelda smiled. He could never stay mad at someone for long.   
* * * 

"Have a good time, boys." Merry's father called to them as he watched Merry help Pippin up into the pony cart. Esmerelda handed Merry their lunch basket. From the basket, Merry caught the delicious aroma of stuffed mushrooms. His heart leapt in his chest. 

"Enough for you both." Esmerelda said, giving her son a wink. Merry smiled and set the basket on the bottom of the cart. Pippin clutched Merry's sleeve with one hand. 

"Can we go?" 

"Yes, just a moment." 

"You two, be back home by tea or dinner, understand?" 

"Yes, mama. I promise we will." 

"And no going past the river. I don't want to remind you, Meriadoc, what happened the last time. Is that clear?" 

Merry blushed a deep red. "Yes, Papa, I know. We won't." 

"Alright, we'll see you two back here in two hours." 

"Yes, Mama. Good-bye!"   
* * *   
Merry knew how far back his parents could see the cart, so he relaxed the reigns and let the pony trot for a while. Pippin pulled on his cousin's shirt. 

"Why did your papa said not to go past the river? What happened last time?" 

"Don't ask." 

"How come? Tell me!" 

"No." 

"Please?" Pippin persisted. "I won't tell anyone, I promise." 

"Not a soul?" Merry said to him. Pippin nodded, raised his right hand. 

"I promise not to tell anyone. Not my mama, my papa or my sisters. Anyone." 

"Well...one morning, I took the cart without asking my parents and I was going to ride around across the river. But it got really rainy and I couldn't see, and the cart rolled into the water, and I almost died. We lost the pony, though." 

"Oh. I'm sorry." 

"It's alright. My papa doesn't want me to go by the river in case it happens again." 

For a while, they were silent. Then, Pippin against Merry's arm and yawned. 

"You're supposed to have a nap, aren't you?" 

"No..." Pippin said, his eyes blinked back sleep. "I'm too big for na-aaaaAAAHHHH--" 

"If that wasn't a yawn--" 

"I'm not sleepy!" 

"Alright, alright." 

"I'm cold though. It's very cold." 

Merry pulled the reigns to a halt, and, almost reluctantly, removed his scarf and tied it around Pippin's neck. He then removed his jacket and gave that to Pippin as well. Pippin fingered the scarf. "It feels nice. I like it." 

"You keep it, then." 

Pippin's eyes widened. "Oh no...but your mama said that...she said it was your favourite thing in the whole world! I can't take it!" 

"It's mine to give to whom I wish. Keep it." 

"Please--" 

"Pippin." Merry's tone was firm and to the point, and Pippin knew that it was final. The horse, moving again, had reached the edge of the river, and Merry pulled her reigns to a stop. He got down from the cart and climbed onto the pony. Merry kicked the pony's side gently. The pony snorted and eased to a run, hurrying alongside the banks of the river. Pippin watched Merry, confused. 

"What're you doing?" 

"She'll go faster. Not a word to my parents, though." 

"I want to ride!" 

"No, Pippin, you're too small." 

"I want to ride on the pony!" 

"Stay in the cart!" 

It happened so fast that Merry didn't realise what was happening until it was too late. The cart ran over a bump, and so Pippin, who had stood up to grab onto Merry, from the cart and grabbed the reigns to stop himself from falling. The horse reared at the sudden jerk and Merry fell off. The pony turned sharply back towards Brandy Hall. As it did, the wheel of the cart grazed Merry's head, knocking him unconscious. Pippin saw this, and cried out. He let go of the reigns, and with a sudden scream, he fell, rolling down the bank of the icy river. Pippin screamed out loud. He couldn't swim. The current was too strong. Pippin screamed again, thrashing around. Merry didn't hear him. But with all his strength, Pippin fought the current. The fact was, however, it was just too strong for the boy. Pippin used the last strength in him to loosen the scarf around his neck. As if by some strange stroke of luck, a wayward tree branch jutting out from a tree on the bank caught the scarf. Pippin held on to the scarf for dear life, and pulled himself towards the tree. He pulled himself on the west bank and untied the scarf from the branch. When he'd caught his breath again, he ran with all his might over the bridge and to Merry's side. After several unsuccessful attempts to revive his cousin, Pippin, shivering from the cold, lay down beside Merry, and held onto his cousin's arm. This was how Frodo found them. 


End file.
